Improvement in show-cases



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICEc WILLIAM SPELLMAN, lOF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOW-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,089, dated June 17, 1873; application filed Jme 4, 1873.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. SPELL- MAN, of Hartford city and county, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Show-Case; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved show-case when open; Fig. 2 is a similar view ot the saine closed; and Fig. 3 `is a vertical transverse section.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

The object ot' this invention is to provide for public use an improved show-case for the exhibition of knives and other cutlery for sale, so constructed that it will display the articles to the best advantage, retain them securely in an upright position, and enable them to be easily removed; and will be provided With means for closing, when desirable, so as to secure them from dust, and from liability to be stolen at night or at other times.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved devices, and com bination of devices, which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the showcase, suitably ornamented with moldings or other appropriate designs, said frame being adapted to be attached or placed in an upright position against the wall, and one-half of the frame being connected to the other by hinges, and adapted to close upon the other and be locked like a door, to protect the articles contained by the cases from dust, &c., and to secure them from being stolen. Each part of the frame constitutes a case, and may or may not be provided with a back, as preferred. Each case is provided with a number of horizontal shelves, C C, arranged at a uniform distance or at different distances apart, there being just vertical space enough between them to accommodate the knives or other articles to be arranged inl an upright position on the shelves; and the shelves may be adjustable, in order to vary their distances apart, if desired. Each shelf is provided at its back edge, on the upper side, with an upward-projecting ange, c, to prevent the handles of the knives from dropping off of the shelves on that side. Each shelf is also provided, on its under side, with two downwardprojecting anges, c c', one at the front and one at the rear edge, to prevent the upper ends of the knives, &c., from falling in either direction. One end ofthe knife-handles, Sac., rests on the lower shelves, and the other end stands between the danges c c. The knives can readily be removed, when the two cases are not closed, by simply drawing out the lower ends ot' their handles; but when the two cases are closed together, the back tlange c of one of the cases comes in front and prevents the withdrtw'al otl the cutlery in that or any other manner. The spaces between the horizontal shelves are divided vertically by means of upright partitions c c into recesses large enough to contain each a single knife or other article, as shown in Fig. l. The knives, dto., are arranged as represented in the drawings, and, itnecessary,for the purpose of designating the quality, price, Ste., ot' the articles, or in giftstores and other similar places of sale, for the purpose of fixing and yet concealing the numbers of the articles by which their price on the gift that goes with them or other article that is to be sold in connection with them,

can be determined, cards or tickets may be placed in the recess or fastened to their walls, or the numbers may bev marked upon the shelves or back, or upon the wall behind them.

The upright partitions c e are beveled away from their upper to their lower end, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to offer no impediment to the easy removal of the articles from the case, by taking hold of the lower end of their handles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a show-case having horizontal shelves, the beveled upright partitions ce, in combination with the shelves C, having the flanges c cl c1, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The double-frame A, hinged as shown, and combined with the horizontal shelves C having flanges c c1 c1, and with the vertical partitions e c, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. Y W. C. SPELLMAN.

Witnesses:

MELVILLE CHURCH, D. K. HAWKHUEST. 

